The CPM on Monday announced that it would project Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, former advocate-general of Tripura and vice-president of the CPM-dominated West Bengal Democratic Lawyers' Association, as mayoral candidate.

Elections to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) are slated for June 19. The civic board is being run by a Trinamul Congress-BJP combine.

State CPM secretary Anil Biswas said the decision on Bhattacharya was taken at a state secretariat meeting of the party during the day. 'We are determined to recapture the city civic board, as we are confident of winning the people's confidence,' he said.

Asked why the party chose a well-known lawyer like Bhattacharya to be mayor Subrata Mukherjee's adversary, Biswas said: 'We will answer all questions during our campaign.'

He, however, admitted that Bhattacharya was chosen as he is 'educated and had the experience of working with poor people and the middle class.' The ward from which he will be fielded is yet to be finalised.